Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder looks for a receiver in the first quarter as the Minnesota Vikings played the Arizona Cardinals at Mall of America Field in Minneapolis on Sunday, October 21, 2012. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)

Receiver Jerome Simpson, who played sparingly in the Vikings’ win over Tennessee and missed their loss to Washington last week because of a lower back injury, started on Sunday, Oct. 21, against the Arizona Cardinals. But Simpson — and the rest of the team’s receivers — didn’t do much in the victory.

Simpson caught the one pass targeted to him, hauling in an 8-yard reception. He did draw his third long pass interference penalty of the season, setting up the Vikings’ first touchdown when Arizona’s William Gay was called for interference on Simpson’s route down the right sideline. But Simpson did little else, and he wasn’t alone among Vikings receivers.

Michael Jenkins was targeted twice, catching one pass for 7 yards. Neither Devin Aromashodu nor Stephen Burton saw a ball thrown their way, though Burton did see some time as a run blocker. Tight end Kyle Rudolph was targeted four times but didn’t have a catch.

Even Percy Harvin’s day was quiet by his standards; he scored a 3-yard touchdown in the second quarter but caught just four passes for 37 yards as quarterback Christian Ponder struggled to find receivers.

Simpson, who was struggling to push off his right leg two weeks ago against Tennessee, said the injury didn’t limit him on Sunday. But the Cardinals took him out of the game with bracket coverage, playing a corner underneath him and a safety over the top.

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